Question by Jadon: What is the difference between the 21 republics of Russia and other republics (countries)?
I don’t get it. They aren’t countries are they? If they are free from the rest of Russia, then why aren’t they shown on maps? Also, why are certain parts of Russia republics, and others are oblasts, or provinces…? What makes them still part of Russia? Thanks!!
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Answer by poornakumar b
USSR is made of 15 republics and ‘Russian SFSR’ occupied 3/4 with almost 2/3 population. USSR constitution divides these into some more units as per a 3 tier hierarchy. While (now) Russian federation has all the 3, only the bigger ones like Ukraine, Kazakhstan have all the 3. Most don’t have. The back-grounder is essential because even now the arrangement continues after the SSRs have become full-fledged republics as they were held together in the union by the Communist Party that is now defunct.
Russia has Autonomous Republics (SS in the middle were dropped):
Bashkiria
Buryatia
Daghestan
Kabardino-Balkar
Kalmyk
Karelia
Komi
Mari
Mordovia
North Ossetia
Tatar
Tuva
Udmurt
Checheno-Ingushetia
Chuvash
Yakut;
Autonomous regions:
Adagei
Gorno-Altai
Jewish
Karachai-Cherkess
Khakass;
and
Aginsk-Buryat
Komi-Permyak
Koryak
Nenets
Taymir(Dolgan-Nenets)
Ust-Urdinsk
Khanti-Mansi
Chuko
Evenki
Yamalo-Nenets
National Districts
Probably you are referring to Autonomous 16 Republics & 5 Regions, listed above.
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AlNash says
They are independent from federal (central) government in certain questions, and sometimes have large native population besides Russians. Generally speaking, it's a kind of administrative division, which has a long and twisted history. They are parts of Russia, because they've been parts of Russia for hundreds years sometimes. You just have to buy another map to see their borders, etc. Think of them something like "states" of the USA: you probably will not wonder why Florida is not an independent state (country) and is still a part of the USA.